My grandmother Adele loved culture and was generous with its gifts. When I was a child, she took me to museums, restaurants, dances. She showered me with gifts from her travels around the world. But I can only remember her giving me one book—a book that, to this day, I have not read. She presented me with her own favorite childhood book: Hans Brinker. My grandmother was happy to share this book with me. She even decorated the title page with her proud writing.
I tried to read it. I adored reading, and would dive into a new pile of books from the library all at once. But something about Hans Brinker just wouldn’t let me in. The story was set in Holland, a long time ago. It felt dull and unfamiliar—even though I was a fan of classics of other times and places. I simply read the first pages over and over. I could not progress.
Standing on a bookshelf in our living room, the book was like something I avoided. It scolded me for not being interested, for not trying hard enough, for disappointing my grandmother.
The book started to fit in, almost forgotten, until Adele asked. Had I read it? Did I like it? Always determined, she wanted to know the answer. I would make some kind of excuse, feel bad, and open it again, hoping for a new reaction. The book weighed on me.
Years passed and finally Adele and I both accepted that I would never read Hans Brinker. Eventually I cleared the book from the shelf. The Hans Brinker experience led me to set a rule that I’ve lived by ever since: Do not ask about a book given as a gift. Don’t ask, despite your desire to discuss it to grow closer. The desire for such connection is what gives book-giving with special meaning—and increases the owner’s possibility to be a letdown.
Guilt is basically the same as for all gifts, though. If the giver doesn’t have the pleasure of seeing or hearing about the gift being enjoyed, and asks whether it is, then the owner—unless she can truthfully say “yes”—either has to admit to not liking the present, or else lie on the spot. Neither is pleasant. So, don’t ask.
1.When the author was a kid, his grandmother ________.
A. took him to travel around the world a lot
B. loved to take him to museums and stores
C. shared her childhood stories with him
D. gave him many gifts
2.What does the author think about the book his grandmother gave him?
A. Boring. B. Interesting.
C. Puzzling. D. Disappointing.
3.The underlined sentence “The book weighed on me” in Paragraph 4 probably means _______.
A. the book is too heavy for the author to carry
B. the author feels stressful facing the book
C. the book is full of powerful viewpoints
D. the author keeps reading the book
4.The author learns from the Hans Brinker’s experience that never________.
A. give others books as gifts
B. lie to people who give you gifts
C. get close to others through gifts
D. talk about the books given as gifts
We’re always looking for well-written reviews of books, music, movies, television shows, websites, video games and other products. When writing a review, concentrate on exactly what you liked or didn’t like. Give examples of strengths and weaknesses, be descriptive and provide background information on an author, director, actor or musician, if possible. Find professional reviews in magazines or newspapers and see how reviewers deal with their topic, but be sure to express your own voice in your review.
Grammar Hint for Reviews: When describing a book, movie, album or anything else, use the present tense.
Book Reviews
Discuss an author’s technique, strengths and weaknesses instead of focusing on the plot. Does the story flow? Is there a strong sense of character and place? Did you stay up until dawn to finish it? Is it good reading for teenagers? What influence did it have on you and why? If you’ve read other books by the same author, discuss how this book compares.
Movie Reviews
Think of the major Oscar categories and consider the performances, music, lighting and setting, etc. Do these work together? Did some hold up while others didn’t? If the movie is based on a book, discuss whether one is better than the other and why. If the movie is a remake, compare the film to its original.
Remember that a well-written movie review should discuss strengths and weaknesses. Some readers may not have seen a movie yet, so don’t give away an exciting scene or the ending!
College Reviews
Begin by providing an overview of the college, including location, size and a description of the campus and/or dorm life. Think about all aspects of your college visit. What academic, athletic and after-class programs are available? What are the students like? What makes the college different from others? Every school has strengths and weaknesses. Be objective. Consider what the school has to offer and who might enjoy or benefit the most from attending there.
1.When writing a review, you ________.
A. cannot refer to any previous review
B. must express your own views and opinions
C. must provide some information about the author
D. needn’t give any examples to support your views
2.Which aspects should be included in all three reviews?
A. Strengths and weaknesses.
B. Plot and character.
C. Programs and scenes.
D. Location and description.
3.Where can you probably find the passage?
A. In a personal diary.
B. In an official report.
C. In a tourist guidebook.
D. In a popular magazine.
书面表达
两位年近六旬的老人不会说英语，也没出过国，为了与女儿团聚，看望刚刚出生的外孙，远赴美国。他们的女丿连写带画地为父母做了一份出行攻略。
请根据以上三幅女儿为父母手绘的出行攻略，用英语写一篇作文。
〖写作内容〗
1.用约30词概述手绘攻略的特占·
2.概述你看了此攻略后的感受（至少两点）；
3.举例说明你能为父母或长辈做些什么（至少两卢）
〖写作要求〗
1.词数150左右。开头部分己写好，不计入词数。
2.作文中不得提及考生所在学校和本人姓名。
TO make it easier for her parents to get to America, a young woman has drawn three pictures.
任务型阅读
请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意：请将答案写在答题纸上相应题号的横线上。每个空格只填一个单词。
Family structure is the core of any culture. A major function of the family is to socialize new members ofa culture. As children are raised in a family setting, they learn to become members of the family as well as members of the larger culture. The family provides the model for all other relationships in society. Through the observations and modeling of the behavior of other family members, children learn about the family and society including the values of the culture. Family structure and their inherent relationships and obligations are a major source of cultural difference.
The family is the center of most traditional Asians' lives. Many people worry about their families' welfare, reputation, and honor. Asian families are often extended, including several generations related by blood or marriage living in the same home. An Asian person's misdeeds are not blamed just on the individual but also on the family—including the dead ancestors.
Traditional Chinese, among many other Asians, respect their elders and feel a deep sense of duty toward them. Children repay their parents' sacrifices by being successful and supporting them in old age. This is accepted as a natural part of life in China. In contrast, taking care of aged parents is often viewed as tremendous burden in the United States, where aging and family support are not honored highly.
The Vietnamese family consists of people currently alive as well as the spirits of the dead and of the as-yet unborn. Any decisions or actions are done from family considerations, not individual desires. People's behavior is judged on whether it brings shame or pride to the family. Vietnamese children are trained to rely on their families, to honor elderly people, and to fear foreigners. Many Vietnamese think that their actions in this life will influence their status in the next life.
Fathers in traditional Japanese families are typically strict and distant. Japanese college students in one study said they would tell their fathers just about as much as they would tell a total stranger. The emotional and communication barrier between children and fathers in Japan appears very strong after children have reached a certain age.
Although there has been much talk about "family values" in the United States, the family is not a usual frame of reference for decisions in U.S. mainstream culture. Family connections are not so important to most people. Dropping the names of wealthy or famous people the family knows is done in the United States, but it is not viewed positively. More important is a person's own individual "track record" of personal achievement.
Thus, many cultural differences exist in family structures and values. In some cultures, the family is the center of life and the main frame of reference for decisions. In other cultures, the individuals, not the family, is primary. In some cultures, the family's reputation and honor depend on each person's actions; in other cultures, individuals can act without permanently affecting the family life. Some cultures value old people, while other cultures look down on them.
(Adapted from R. L. Oxford & R. C. Scarcella, "A Few Family Structures and Values Around the Globe")
Outline | Supporting details |
1. A to family structure | Family structure is of great 2. A in different cultures. Children raised in a family will gradually learn how to 3. A in a way which is acceptable in their culture or setting. 'Many cultural differences 4. A from family structures. |
Examples of Asian families | Traditional Asians 5. A their lives around family. Not only the individual but the family is to6. A for any wrongdoings. O In China, parents' sacrifices will probably7. off when children grow up. Children will also provide for the elders. O In Vietnam, it's not from the personal desires but from family considerations that decisions or actions are done. In Japan, children are 8. A to share their emotions with father, thus making communication difficult. |
Examples of families in the USA | Americans don't lay much emphasis on family values. 9. A personal achievement is considered more important. |
Conclusion | Family structures and values 10. A in different cultures. |
Before the law sits a gatekeeper. To this gatekeeper comes a man from the country who asks to gain entry into the law. But the gatekeeper says that he cannot grant him entry at the moment. The man thinks about it and then asks if he will be allowed to come in sometime later on. "It is possible," says the gatekeeper, "but not now." The gate to the law stands open, as always, and the gatekeeper walks to the side, so the man bends over in order to see through the gate into the inside. When the gatekeeper notices that, he laughs and says: "If it tempts you so much, try going inside in spite of my prohibition. But take note. I am powerful. And I am only the most lowly gatekeeper. But from room to room stand gatekeepers, each more powerful than the other. I cannot endure even one glimpse of the third."
The man from the country has not expected such difficulties: the law should always be accessible for everyone, he thinks, but as he now looks more closely at the gatekeeper in his fur coat, at his large pointed nose and his long, thin, black Tartar's beard, he decides that it would be better to wait until he gets permission to go inside. The gatekeeper gives him a stool and allows him to sit down at the side in front of the gate. There he sits for days and years. He makes many attempts to be let in, and he wears the gatekeeper out with his requests. The gatekeeper often interrogates him briefly, questioning him about his homeland and many other things, but they are indifferent questions, the kind great men put, and at the end he always tells him once more that he cannot let him inside yet. The man, who has equipped himself with many things for his journey, spends everything, no matter how valuable, to win over the gatekeeper. The latter takes it all but, as he does so, says, "I am taking this only so that you do not think you have failed to do anything."
During the many years the man observes the gatekeeper almost continuously. He forgets the other gatekeepers, and this first one seems to him the only barrier for entry into the law. He curses the unlucky circumstance, in the first years thoughtlessly and out loud; later, as he grows old, he only mumbles to himself. He becomes childish and, since in the long years studying the gatekeeper he has also come to know the fléas ( PZ) in his fur collar, he even asks the fleas to help him persuade the gatekeeper. Finally his eyesight grows weak, and he does not know whether things are really darker around him or whether his eyes are merely deceiving him. But he recognizes now in the darkness a ray of light which breaks out of the gateway to the law. Now he no longer has much time to live.
Before his death he gathers in his head all his experiences of the entire time up into one question which he has not yet put to the gatekeeper. He waves to him, since he can no longer lift up his stiffening body. The gatekeeper has to bend way down to him, for the great difference has changed things considerably to the disadvantage of the man. 
"You are insatiable (不知足的)."t "Everyone strives after the law," says the man, "so how is it that in these many years no one except me has requested entry?" The gatekeeper sees that the man is already dying and, in order to reach his diminishing sense of hearing, he shouts at him, "Here no one else can gain entry, since this entrance was assigned only to you. I'm going now to close it. " 
1.Which can best describe the man from the country?
A.Brave but innocent. B. Loyal but ridiculous.
C. Tolerant but stubborn. D. Trustworthy but childish.
2.hat is the implied meaning of the underlined sentences?
A. Anyone who breaks the law will get severe punishment.
B. It's next to impossible for people to gain entry into the law.
C. The gatekeepers are powerful enough to defend the law.
D. All the gatekeepers take full responsibility for obeying the law.
3.The sentence "What do you still want to know now?" asks the gatekeeper. can be put in
A．① B. ② C. ③ D④
4.Which of the following is TRUE?
A.The gatekeeper is actually the symbol of responsibility.
B. All efforts made by the man from the country are in vain.
C. The man from the country finally gains access into the law.
D. A close relationship is formed between the gatekeeper and the man.
5.Why is the man from the country eager to have access to the law continuously?
A.Because he is anxious to explore the nature of law. .
B.Because no one can gain entry into the law except him.
C. Because the gatekeeper promises him entry into the law.
D. Because he knows how to take advantage of the gatekeeper.
6.What may be the title of the novel?
A. Before the law B. Above the law
C. A countryman's life D. A gatekeeper's duty
"Over the years the unthinkable has become thinkable and today we sense we are close to being able to alter human heredity œ#)." These were the words of David Baltimore of the California Institute of Technology, on December 1st, when he opened a three-day meeting in Washington to discuss the morality and use of human gene editing. Dr Baltimore is an old hand at these sorts of discussions, for he was also a participant in the Asilomar conference, in 1975, which brought scientists together to discuss a safe way of using the then-new tcchnology of recombinant DNA, and whose recommendations influenced a generation of biotechnology researchers.
Four decades on, the need for a similar sort of chin-wag has arisen. The International Summit on Human Gene Editing has been held by the national scientific academies of three countries — America, Britain and China. They are particularly concerned about whether gene editing should be used to make heritable changes to the human germ line, something Dr Baltimore described as a deep and troubling question. Like those of Asilomar, the conclusions of this meeting will not be binding. But the hope is that, again like Asilomar, a mixture of common sense and peer pressure will create a world in which scientists are trusted to regulate themselves, rather than having politicians and civil servants do it for them. The meeting is being held against a backdrop of rapid scientific advance, Since 2012 research into a new, easy-to-use editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9 has blossomed. This technique involves a piece of RNA (a chemical messenger, which can be used to recognise a target section of DNA) and an enzyme (酶) called a nuclease that can snip unwanted genes out and paste new ones in.
Public interest was aroused in April, when Chinese scientists announced they had edited genes in non-viable ( 无活力的) human embryos, and again in November when British researchers said they had successfully treated a one-year-old girl who had leukaemia ( 白血病), using gene-edited T-cells. T-cells are part of the immune system that attack, among other things, tumour cells. The researchers altered T-cells from a healthy donor to encourage them to recognise and kill the patient's cancer, to make them immune to her leukaemia drug, and to ensure they did not attack her healthy cells.
In another recent development, a firm called Edit as Medicine, which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has said it hopes, in 2017, to start human clinical trials of CRISPR-Cas9 as a treatment for a rare genetic form of blindness known as Leber congenital amaurosis (伯氏先天性黑蒙). Though other companies are already testing gene-editing therapies, these employ older, clunkier forms of the technology that seem likely to have less commercial potential. Moreover, researchers at the Broad Institute, also in Cambridge, said this week that they had made changes to CRISPR-Cas9 which greatly reduce the rate of editing errors — one of the main obstacles to the technique's medical use.
On the subject of germ-line editing, Eric Lander, the Broad's head, told the meeting it would be useful only in rare cases and said it might be a good idea to "exercise caution? before making permanent changes to the gene pool. The need for caution is advice that might also be heeded by those pursuing work in animals other than people, and in plants — subjects not being covered by the summit.
1.Which ofthe following is TRUE about CRISPR-Cas9?
A. It has fewer side effects.
B. It can modify human gene.
B. It can protect immune system.
D. It has less commercial potential.
2.The underlined word "chin-wag" in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by______
A. discussion B. negotiation
C. argument D. comparison
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Dr. Baltimore started his research on modiffing gene in 1975.
B. Scientists' opinions about the use of gene editing are consistent.
C. CRISPR-Cas9 has been applied to cure Leber congenital amaurosis.
D. More research should be made before the technology comes into wide use.
4.This passage is most probably a______.
A. science fiction B. scientific report
C. conference summary D. commercial advertisement
